The Minnesota Wild were two points out of a playoff spot, playing on the road in Montreal. They got a crucial power play in the second period of a 2-1 game. A puck bounced off Nino Niederreiter and then off to Mike Condon’s glove side. Mikael Granlund was there, crashing the net to bury the puck for his second goal of the night.

It was his 10th goal of the season — then a career high. It was also his 69th game of the season.

That was not a good year for Granlund. He was placed in a great opportunity to succeed, given 18 minutes a game, heavy power play usage, and had several skilled wingers to flank him. Despite the tantalizing skill to have nights like that one in Montreal, he still sputtered, scoring just 13 goals and 44 points overall.

That mediocrity wasn’t just disappointing, it was downright confusing. It shouldn’t have happened. Since being drafted in 2010, Granlund seemed destined to be the next big...